


Haunted

by Iza456



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-11-28 21:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11426823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iza456/pseuds/Iza456
Summary: When a simple save and rescue mission goes wrong, Kara is left haunted by the choices she had to make. Now it's up to Lena and her family, to show Kara that both her and Supergirl are worth fighting for.





	1. Ch. 1

Lena let out a content sigh, as she carefully sank into her couch with a mug of coffee and her newspaper. Taking a sip of the creamy caffeinated drink, Lena leaned forward grabbing the remote off the little table in front of her. With a couple clicks, she managed to turn on the TV and stumble upon a random news outlet, a smile played on her lips as she saw National City’s blonde haired hero flying across the screen. 

She left the TV on mute as she started to flip through the flimsy sheets of paper that consisted of her daily outpour of information. Lena knew it was old fashioned, but she just couldn’t give it up. Something about flipping through a newspaper was strangely satisfying to her. As she scanned through all the major headlines, she made mental notes of which ones she wanted to read compared to others that were just background noise.

 A light breeze blew through the cracked window, making Lena shiver as it hit her arms. She was currently dressed in a pair of sweats, and one of her most comfortable t-shirts. Her hair thrown up in a bun.

 It was a lazy Sunday morning. Her favorite day of the week only because it consisted of a day away from L-Corp allowing her to spend some quality time with her gorgeous girlfriend. Except for the occasional Supergirl rescue, of course.

 Another breeze made its way through the window, not just chilling her arms but also her entire body, causing Lena to shiver against the cold. Looking to her right she saw that the window was cracked just enough to let the cool air in. Lena sighed to herself knowing Kara had probably been in a hurry on her way out and forgot to close the window properly.

Reaching back behind her, she pulled a soft blanket down over her. When she had first decorated the apartment, she had bought a nice designer blanket that was more for show than actual comfort. But then she started dating a certain blonde, and she ended up being criticized ruthlessly for her lack of blanket buying skills. Kara then proceeded to take her shopping for the softest blanket they could find.

As she pulled up her legs, letting the blanket lay over her lap, she pulled the paper back up in front of her. It was chilly outside, not enough that the heat needed to be turned on, but the weather was clearly making a statement, preparing everyone for the changing seasons. Soon they would all be bogged down in heavy coats and scarfs.

“Hey.”

Lena turned when she heard Kara’s voice, not a bit ashamed of the smile that had spread across her face as she watched the city’s hero step through her window.

"Hey,” Lena responded, standing up so she could greet Kara properly, “Let me make you some coffee."

When she didn’t get a response, Lena’s smile faltered finally catching the haunted look in Kara's eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Lena said, stepping cautiously towards Kara.

Kara shook her head, whispering out a desperate, "Please."

Before Lena's brain could catch up to her, Kara had stepped up to her, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips. It was so light and gentle that Lena barely realized it was there. Her hands hovered over Kara’s body not sure if she should touch her or let the moment play out.

Kara let the kiss linger a little longer, before pushing harder against Lena’s mouth, deepening the kiss as their lips moved easily against one another’s.

Both of their hearts sped up when Kara wrapped an arm around Lena’s waist, the other going to the back of Lena’s thigh giving a silent command. Lena furrowed her brow but jumped up upon Kara’s request.

Kara caught her without a thought, their bodies pressing together as Lena wrapped her legs around Kara’s hips, her hands going to cradle the hero’s face.

Lena selfishly wanted to finish what Kara had started, but she had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was very, very wrong.

And just as Kara had told her a countless amount of times before, hiding behind blind intimacy and physical contact didn’t fix your problems, it only prolonged them.

“Kara?” Lena breathed, her voice cracking at the edges as she broke the kiss. She placed her forehead firmly against Kara’s, her eyes staying closed as she fought to catch her breath.

Kara gently set Lena back on ground, her breath hitching at the look of pure adoration Lena’s eyes expressed when they finally blinked open. The Kryptonian shifted, burying her face into Lena's neck attempting to suppress a sob that escaped from deep within her. Her other arm joining the one around Lena's waist, as her body finally succumbed to the trauma that transpired an hour before.

"Hey." Lena whispered, her gentle hands going to Kara’s forearm and shoulder, pushing her back just enough so Lena could see her. "What happened?"

“I – ” Kara croaked, her eyes dropping under Lena’s gaze, her sentence finished before it even began.

Lena brought a finger up to Kara's chin, and lightly raised it so she could look into her eyes. Lena could see the fear, and pain swirling within Kara's deep blue eyes, the ones she fell so deeply in love with.

Her finger glided a piece of hair back behind Kara's ear, before placing a tender kiss on pink lips, "You can tell me anything."

Kara let out a long breath, her sobs diminishing to silent tears sliding down her face. When she spoke her voice was void of emotion as she replayed the events in her head, "There was a fire… on 5th and main. The fire department was there first, they had managed to get everyone out of the first nine floors before they were engulfed in the flames, but they didn't have enough time for the tenth. They told me there were two apartments, one with a family of four, the other with a single occupant."

"I had a choice." Kara let a tiny sob escape from her lips, "And I saved the family."

"You did everything you could."

"No," Kara whispered, taking a step back from Lena, effectively dropping all contact with the Luthor. "I didn't. I heard the sirens, Lena. I heard them and I decided to stay in bed with you for a few more minutes before going to help. I could have saved him."

"It's not your fault." Lena said, reaching for Kara. "You cannot save everyone, you know that."

Kara looked down at her feet, as she played with her fingers.

"I think," Kara paused a moment, reluctantly meeting Lena's eyes, "I think I'm going to go fly for a little while."

Lena nodded, knowing Kara processed best in the clouds. Taking a step towards Kara she wrapped her in a tight hug, "Just come back to me. I love you, Kara Danvers."

"I love you, too." Kara responded, placing a kiss on Lena's forehead before stepping back to the window. With one last look over her shoulder Kara shot herself up into the air.

Lena paced for a moment, trying to figure out where she should go before dropping onto the couch. Her hands going to her face, before running her fingers over the top of her head, pulling out her bun. Long black hair cascaded around her, as Lena sniffed staring down at the paper on the coffee table.

She cursed under her breath.

She should have watched the damn news.

Lena's thoughts were interrupted when her phone started to buzz on the glass surface. Normally, she'd ignore all calls on a Sunday. It was the only day that she didn't contact her business. But with what happened with Kara, she had to check.

Running a finger under her nose, she squared her shoulder preparing for the phone call ahead. Leaning forward, she grabbed the irritable device. Flipping it over, she saw Alex Danvers name on the screen.

With a quick swipe of her finger, Lena brought the phone to her ear, "Hey."

"I just heard what happened." Alex's panicking voice flooded through the phone, "Is she with you?"

"She was." Lena sighed.

"That bad?" Alex questioned.

"She's devastated, Alex." Lena whispered.

"Okay," Alex said, hesitantly, before responding with more confidence, Lena could almost see the nod of her friend's head, "Okay, Maggie and I are coming over."

As an afterthought Alex added, "If that's okay of course."

"You're always welcomed here, you know that."

"We'll be there in ten."

Lena hung up the phone, not sure how she was going to wait the ten minutes for them to arrive.

Walking over to the open window, Lena glanced up to the sky hoping to spot her girl. But all Lena could do was wait and hope that Kara would be home soon in the comfort of her friends and family.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So if you follow my other Supergirl story, The Call, you know that I desperately want to jump into the Supercorp fandom with that story, the only problem is I have quite a bit of story telling to do before we get to that point.
> 
> Ultimately, I decided to give this a try and see if I get a response from it. I think this is going to be a little three chapter short fic, but my imagination tends to have a mind of it's own, so who knows!
> 
> Please, let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Kara closed her eyes as she pushed herself to go faster. She had finally made it out of city limits allowing her to relax at the sound of wind pushing past her.

She loved National City. She truly did. It held her family and the people she vowed to protect.

But sometimes it was so loud.

The cars. The music. The voices.

Her years here on Earth had taught her how to silence them. They were still there but not as deafening as they were in the beginning.

Kara slowed a fraction of her speed as she ran into a landing. The landscape around her a blur of grass and sand.

The field was expansive, but at least Kara knew she was alone.

Her thoughts faltered to the apartment building, the fire heating her face, the yelling.

_"Supergirl, where have you been?" The fire chief yelled over the roaring fire, running up to her, "There's a family and a single occupant on the top floor. You don't have much time, the fire's critical."_

_"Don't worry," Kara said, giving the frazzled official a smile, "I've got this."_

_As pushed herself into the air, she x-rayed the building. Seeing the family first she quickly maneuvered through the columns and rooms. When she reached them, she grabbed the kids before coming back to rescue the parents. Kara was back in the air as firefighters pushed them back behind the barrier. She did not stop to see the happy reunion._

_The hero smiled to herself; one more. Then she could go home._

_And that's when she heard it. The slight groan of the wood and stilts. The tale tells sign of a building collapsing._

_"She's coming down!" Someone yelled from the ground._

_Kara re-doubled her efforts, ignoring the burning of her lungs as she broke through a window to the correct apartment. But the man wasn't there anymore._

_A low growl escaped her lips, as she x-rayed through flames again. The fire's temperature climbing to an all-time high._

_She heard the coughing first, as she zoned in on the sound she caught a glimpse of the man attempting to run down the stairwell. He was at least three floors down. The building wasn't stable enough for her to crash through the floor. And even if she managed to put out all the flames the building wouldn't hold up against the force of them._

_She was out of options._

_And Supergirl froze as the building around her crumbled._

Kara eyes clouded, the memory of the collapsing building ringing in her ears.

She failed today.

And she knew that it wasn't her fault. That she couldn't save everyone.

But none of that mattered to her.

Her duty was to protect; save lives. From day one, she held herself to that standard, and she wasn't going to stop now.

So as cool winds clouded her senses she allowed the guilt to tear through her.

* * *

Lena paced in front of her TV knowing that Alex and Maggie's worried gaze followed her every step.

They had arrived at the ten-minute mark like Alex said. The trio had tried to be casual about the fact that Kara wasn't there with them, but they weren't fooling each other. There was an obvious space, and gloominess that the blonde's bubbly self normally chased away. For a while they were able to keep the conversation off of the hero, but as topics ran out, they were all becoming very aware how long Kara had been gone.

It had just reached the two-hour mark, and Lena's worry was only increasing as she continued her pattern.

"Lena," Maggie's calm voice, sounded through the eerily quiet apartment, "Come sit."

"Can't." She mumbled back, her fingers playing with the necklace Kara had given her.

Alex pushed herself up from the couch, positioning herself so she blocked Lena's path. The youngest of the three stopped a foot in front of Alex, glancing up at her briefly before changing directions, continuing her pacing.

Alex rolled her eyes, of course all it did was shorten the length of Lena's path.

"Okay, Lena." Alex said, grabbing her friend by the shoulders, "That's enough of that."

Maggie smiled, a little laugh escaping her lips, as she headed towards the kitchen. When she came back she was carrying a small glass.

"Drink this." Maggie said handing the drink Lena.

Lena eyed it wearily, "Not until you tell me what it is."

"Lena, just drink the damn drink." Maggie said, grabbing Lena's hand and wrapping her fingers around the glass.

Alex widened her eyes, when Lena grumbled something under her breath before drinking it in one go. The Luthor coughed as the liquor burned down her throat.

"God, that's strong."

"Come on, hot shot." Alex joked, running a hand up and down Lena's back as she led them over to the couch.

Over the last year, Alex and Lena had become closer. It took a while for Alex to trust her and it wasn't just because she was a Luthor.

The agent had always been fiercely protective over her little sister, especially when it came to her relationships. Kara had just been through so much that Alex didn't want her to have to go through anymore heartbreak.

But a couple months into their relationship, Lena had proved her loyalty to Kara. And Alex couldn't deny the way her sister's eyes lit up every time the green-eyed beauty walked into the room anymore.

"Look, I know my sister," Alex started, "She always comes back. She just needs time."

Lena let out a long breath before turning towards Alex, "This was different, I've never seen her… She's never - "

"Never what?" Alex questioned, her hand reach back towards Maggie who immediately took it between her own.

The more Lena replayed that kiss in her mind, the more she realized how much this event had affected Kara. The gentle kiss in the beginning was her way of being careful with Lena. But then she pushed harder, taking control of the situation. She just wanted control.

Lena let out a humorless laugh, all the pieces clicking together in her mind, "She was trying to feel something."

"Feel… Lena, I don't…"

"She told me that I was the reason that she didn't get there soon enough."

"She didn't mean it like that. She blames herself…" Maggie whispered.

"I know," Lena shook her head, "But she's always taken her job as Supergirl seriously, it's a part of who she is, so when it's threatened by a mistake - ."

"She feels like she's loosing apart of herself." Alex finished, "Oh, Kara."

"So she overcompensates with me." Lena continued, rubbing a hand over her face, "How did I miss it? It's one of my signature moves. I knew something was wrong, I just couldn't put it together fast enough."

Alex stared at the ground a moment, before whispering, "I know where she is."

"What?"

"Stay here." Alex said, as she walked over to the door, pulling on her jacket.

"Where are you going?" Lena asked as she stood.

"I'm bringing my sister home."

With one last glance behind her, Alex was out the door before Lena or Maggie could protest.

* * *

When Alex drove past the mile marker she was looking for, she threw her SUV in reverse before coming to a screeching halt. Killing the engine, she quickly stepped out of the black vehicle, and grabbed her bag out of the passenger side.

After making a stop at her apartment, Alex had weaved through the city, before merging onto an access road that would allow her within walking distance of Kara's destination. The mile markers were far and in between but luckily there was one that lead straight to the middle of the expansive field. All Alex had to do was head north.

Throwing the bag over the fence, Alex slide herself through strings of barbwire, cursing as one grazed her back, but not slowing her movements.

She was worried.

Based on Lena's assessment and her own experiences with her sister, Alex knew Kara was in a bad shape. The guilt was probably eating her to the bone, and Alex was going to do everything in her power to make the pain disappear.

Alex grabbed the backpack off the ground, and pulled it onto her shoulder. It contained basic Kara necessities including a load of snacks and a clean pair of clothes. Alex had every intention on taking her sister home herself, she didn't want her in the clouds for the rest of the day.

The sun was currently being hidden behind clouds, allowing Alex a light reprieve from the heat. Looking back behind her, she couldn't see her government issued SUV anymore. She was close.

And that's when she saw her.

Kara was leaning up against a large rock, her legs out in front of her. She was currently playing with her fingers, as she stared blankly at the landscape in front of her.

When Alex reached her destination, she let out a shaky breath, not saying a word she sat down beside her sister.

She could feel Kara's eyes on her as she opened the bag, she grabbed a couple snacks before zipping it back up. Alex dropped one into her sister's lap opening her own. She relished the taste of the sugary goodness that was scooby doo gummies. It had always been a running joke that Alex could eat her weight in the snack.

Kara played with the package, crinkling the paper as she looked down, "How'd you find me?"

"I have my ways." Alex said, not missing the relieved look on her sisters face.

Alex's phone buzzed in her back pocket, lifting her hips up she pulled out the device, looking at the list of missed calls.

Alex hummed a smile, before handing the phone to Kara, "Our girlfriends are blowing up my phone."

Kara reluctantly took the phone, her eyes focusing on the six missed calls from Lena, "Is she okay?"

"Maggie? Yeah, she's great. Did I tell you what she did the other day - "

"Alex." Kara said letting out a sad laugh, knowing her sister was just trying to make her feel better.

"She's worried about you, Kara. We all are, and I don't know what happened this morning but she's really, really concerned."

"I kissed her."

"O-okay…" Alex drawled, not sure why that would be a problem.

"No, I mean _kiss_ her, kiss her. It's not like we haven't, you know," Kara said, raising her eyebrows suggestively, "But I've never just walked up to her and… I just needed to know she was there."

"Hey, looked at me." Alex prompted, taking her sister's hand between her own. "She's okay."

Kara nodded her head, as she stood up letting her gaze drift back to the field ahead of her, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't her." Kara whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks.

Kara heard the intake of Alex's breath as she stood beside her.

It terrified her to say the words out loud. She had thought them many times before but had never admitted out loud, much less to anyone else. Supergirl had cost her so much. Family, friends, people who she and Alex loved.

"Don't say that." Alex argued, her chest tightening at the thought of Kara not being the hero that she strived so long to be.

"But it's the truth." Kara stated, walls slowly snapping into place, protecting her broken heart. It was taking everything within her to keep standing, "She's cost you so much, _me_ so much."

"No, _you_ haven't." Alex said, grabbing her sister's shoulder so they were facing each other, "Kara, Supergirl is a part of who you are. I know your life has been filled with unimaginable loss. But that is a part of life, it's what makes us who we are." Alex fired, "And it's what makes you a hero."

"Really?" Kara incredulously, losing her patience, "And what kind of hero let's someone die in a burning building."

"You didn't _let_ anyone do anything!" Alex yelled, "He was three floors below you and the building was going down, you did everything you could!"

"Then why wasn't it enough!" Kara screamed, her voice cracking under her emotions.

Alex was silenced by the pain that echoed through Kara's voice, with a quick step she pulled her sister into a hug. Closing her eyes, as her sister's body crumbled under the weight of her sobs.

"I love you." Alex whispered in Kara's ear, "You're my sister, my hero, and I'll love you no matter how many mistakes you convince yourself you've made. You are not alone."

"Thank you." Kara mumbled, "I want to go home."

Alex pulled back, a small smile playing on her lips, "Then we'll go home."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the response to this story! I was so excited to see every follow, favorite, and review! Next chapter, I promise more Lena and Kara! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Kara stood outside of her and Lena’s apartment waiting for the moment when her heart would stop trying to beat out of her chest. Her nerves were like a chain reaction inside her making her more nervous as each second passed. She knew Lena was worried, she heard the rapid beat of the heart she could never _not_ listen to. She knew her girlfriend would be relieved to see her safe and home. So why couldn’t she get herself to walk through that door?

Alex stood beside her, she didn’t say anything just waited for her sister to make the first move. It’s one of the things Kara loved so much about her sister, she never pushed her to do something she didn’t want to do. Alex let her come to her own conclusions, and supported them fully once they were made.

Kara adjusted her glasses, as she reached up to knock on the bright, white door. She felt her sister put a supportive hand on her back, as she made the last movement to warn Lena of their presence.

She heard rushed footsteps in the apartment, and Kara steeled herself when the door swung open to reveal a disheveled Lena. Her girlfriend froze in her tracks, eyes racking over every inch of Kara to make sure she was physically okay.

When she seemed satisfied that her girlfriend was unharmed, she grabbed Kara’s shoulder, pulling them into a tight embrace. Kara felt Lena’s frame shudder under her hands, and started to run her hands up and down her back to sooth the Luthor.

“I’m okay.” Kara whispered, into Lena’s ear.

That was a half-lie in and of itself. Physically, yes, but she still felt the emotional turmoil of the day’s events. She just couldn’t block the images out of her mind. But Lena needed to hear it.

In a way, she was relieved that she felt the pain she was feeling, it reminded her that she was still alive. A person who felt things, who could feel pain even when they were technically indestructible.

She felt Lena redouble her hold, burying her face into the crook of Kara’s neck. Kara looked up to see her sister, watching them with a small, sad smile. With a nod from Kara, Alex left Kara’s line of vision, probably to go see her fiancée.

Kara raised her head slightly, placing a kiss on the side of Lena’s head. 

“Look at me.” Kara whispered, when she pulled back to see Lena avoiding eye contact. Lena looked up, watery green eyes meeting blue, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that.”

Lena started to protest, but Kara cut her off, “It’s not your fault, okay? What I said earlier…”

Kara inhaled a shaky breath, her hand going to cradle Lena’s cheek, “I love you, I love you so much that sometimes I can’t breathe. But I would never give that up, I could never give you up. Not for Supergirl, not for anyone.

Lena gave a hesitant nod, a confident one following before leaning forward to place a kiss on Kara’s lips. It didn’t last more than a couple of seconds, but it was enough to calm their racing hearts. 

“I love you, too.” Lena whispered, turning to face Alex who was standing next to Maggie on the other side of the room, “Thank you for bringing her home.”

Alex smiled, looking between the two, “She just needed a little push. We’ll leave you guys to it.”

Alex said, placing a hand on the small of Maggie’s back so she would follow.

Alex stopped to give Kara a quick hug, Maggie took a step back giving the sisters some space as Alex whispered “Never let her go.” into Kara’s ear. The hero felt her heart clench at the words, as her sister placed a feather light kiss on her forehead.

Ever since they stood on that balcony, Kara heartbroken over a love that she never thought she would have and she said those words to Alex it was like a final acceptance of Maggie. She had no doubt that her sister belonged with the woman who made her so happy and it was her way of telling Alex exactly that. And when Alex proposed to Maggie and she said yes, Kara had been thrilled for her sister and future sister-in-law.

Now, Alex had said the same words to Kara, knowing what it meant between them.

And all efforts to slow her racing heart ended at hearing those words.

Kara’s eyes filled with tears, her sister stepping back, smiling as she said five last words, "You deserve to be happy.”

_Thank you_. Kara mouthed, Alex nodded before grabbing Maggie’s hand, making their exit.

Lena watched the couple leave with questioning eyes, “Kara? Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Kara said, while clearing her throat, “Yes, come sit with me?”

Lena took the hand Kara offered to her and they walked towards the couch. Kara sat down first, Lena following. They sat shoulder to shoulder. Kara repositioned their hands so her arm was under Lena’s, their fingers laced together in her lap.

“Did your flight help?” Lena asked quietly.

“Some.” Kara nodded, squeezing Lena’s hand in reassurance, “It still hurts, I hate that I wasn’t able to save him.”

Kara shook her head, she didn’t really want to deal with all the conflicting emotions she was feeling, “Can we maybe hold off on this talk for tonight? I’m just so exhausted, maybe we could - “

“Yes.” Lena said, smirking at the laugh coming out of Kara’s mouth. “What should we do instead, mm?”

“Movies? Or we could go lay in bed for a while?” Kara suggested.

“It’s up to you.”

“Can you just….” Kara sighed, “hold me? I just need to be close to you.”

Lena responded by standing up, pulling Kara with her until they made it to her bedroom. She shimmied out of her pants before climbing into bed, raising an eyebrow when Kara stood at in the doorway. A moment later Kara was changed into a t-shirt, and climbing into bed to snuggle into Lena’s side.

 They both shifted a couple of times, their bodies molding to each other. Lena wrapped an arm around Kara’s lower back her fingers running along exposed skin, her other hand running along Kara’s arm that was across her stomach.

 “Better?” Lena asked, placing a kiss on Kara’s forehead.

 “Yes, thank you.” Kara mumbled.

 “No need.” Lena whispered, feeling Kara becoming heavier and heavier against her, “Get some sleep, beautiful.”

* * *

Lena woke up to the smell of pancakes and coffee. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked around her seeing Kara wasn’t in the room. With a sigh, she pulled herself out of bed, crossing her arms against the cold as she walked to the kitchen.

Lena leaned against the doorway to her bedroom, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched Kara dance around on the balls of her feet, music playing quietly as she cooked breakfast.

She allowed herself to rake her eyes over the woman she fell head of heels in love with. Kara was wearing long socks that went up to the middle of her calf, and a too-large t-shirt. Her hair was down, even without any clips or bands it was in light waves, blonde accents highlighting her light brown hair as the sun glimmered through the large window.

In other words, she was gorgeous.

Pushing herself off the wall, Lena walked up behind Kara while wrapping her arms around the Kryptonian, “Morning.”

Lena murmured, her chin resting on Kara’s shoulder.

“Morning!” Kara chirped, tilting her head so she could give Lena a quick kiss. “I’m making us breakfast. Coffee should be ready.”

“Is that a polite way of asking me to let you go?” Lena laughed, only tightening her hold on Kara.

“Never.” Kara responded, instantly taking Lena back by her seriousness.

Lena pulled back just enough to turn Kara to face her, her hand going to the dial to turn of the stove. Once she was sure they wouldn’t burn the building down, Lena took Kara’s hand and walked them back to the couch.

They were going to have this conversation. Because if Kara was to the point where she was hiding behind her chipper facade then Lena wanted to know. And she would do everything in her power to help Kara feel like she belonged again.

“Talk to me.” Lena whispered, “What’s going on?”

Kara took a deep breath, literally preparing herself for the dive she was about to take, she knew she needed to tell Lena how she really felt. But Alex was taken aback by the little amount she had shared with her, what would Lena feel?

“I, um, I’m just questioning a lot of things right now.” Kara murmured, looking up to meet Lena’s steady gaze, “Not you, of course, never you. But, um, I guess I’m trying to decide if I still want to be Supergirl. And I know that sounds extreme, but you missed a lot of the beginning. Like how big it was that I came out as Supergirl, or how much it terrified Alex and Eliza. How much I questioned showing the world that crest and cape.”

 “Did I ever tell you why I saved that plane?” Kara asked, her eyes watering at the thought of almost losing Alex. Lena shook her head, not wanting to interrupt Kara’s outpour by speaking. “Alex was on that plane, headed for Geneva. I was actually on a date, and this guy didn’t want to be there, and so I started to focus on other things like the news and I heard it. They were saying that her plane was falling from the sky. And I reacted. I didn’t think about the fact that I was exposing myself as an alien. Or the fact that I hadn’t flown in years. I just jumped, because I knew that was what I had to do to save my sister.”

“And you did.” Lena said, pride in her eyes.

“Yes.” Kara confirmed, “And then I went against her orders and started working with Winn to stop petty crimes. Later on, I joined the DEO, fought against aliens who meant to do harm to this world, and it was - “

“Thrilling?” Lena suggested, her eyes still bright as Kara retold her story.

“It some ways yes, and it also made me feel incredibly responsible. In a good way, of course. I loved it, it gave me a challenge. But now, I have you. And Alex has Maggie. And it’s not just us fighting the against the world anymore. We have other people that we would have to worry about coming home to at night.”

“Let me ask you this…” Lena said, waiting for a nod from Kara, “How did you feel when you saved that little girl from being hit by that car last week or when you stopped that alien from terrorizing those people in National Park?”

“Empowered, relieved, um, happy.” Kara answered, her brain slowly catching up to what Lena was doing.

“And what about that family on the top floor of a burning building?” Lena pushed, tilting her head to the side.

“Lena…”

“Don’t think about the rest, just answer the question.” Lena said gently.

“Um, I was focused on getting back to the him, but I was overjoyed that I had managed to get the family out safe and that they were back together.”

“And Henry Brooke?"

 Kara closed her eyes at the name she had burned into her memory. Her heart hammered hard as she thought about a life she could have saved.

 “Regret, anger,” Kara shook her head with a frown, “pain.”

 Opening her eyes, Kara met Lena’s, “All I feel is pain.”

 “You’re allowed to feel, Kara. It’s not a weakness, it took me a long time to learn that.” Lena whispered, her hand going to cup Kara’s face. “Everything you feel: love, pain, regret, anger, happiness… all of those emotions make you the person I fell in love with. And Supergirl or no Supergirl you’ll always be a hero, your heart is what guides you, Kara, and that’s why you put your life on the line every day, protecting this city, your sister, me.”

 Lena closed the distance between them, Kara let her eyes flutter close as Lena pressed her forehead against the hero’s, “I love you, Kara Zor-el.”

 Kara’s breath hitched, as Lena tilted her head, their lips meeting briefly.

 “What about a good old fashioned girls’ night?” Lena asked, knowing Kara needed her family right now. “You, me, Alex, and Maggie. We can order Chinese, watch some crappy films and just enough each other’s company.”

 “How do you do that?” Kara asked, smiling at Lena.

 “Do what?”

“Know exactly what I need.”

 “Because I know you better than I know myself.” Lena laughed, pressing a kiss to Kara’s forehead. “Come on, let’s eat some pancakes.”

 Kara scrunched up her nose, “They’re probably cold now.”

 “Well, thank god I made sure we kept the microwave when you moved in.”

 “I never said we didn’t need a microwave!” Kara protested, this being a regular inside joke between the two.

 “Right, says the woman, who I quote, ‘Lena, I have heat vision, we don’t really need any of this!’ as she pointed around the kitchen.” Lena raised an eyebrow, daring Kara to deny it.

  “I was kidding!” Kara laughed, her arms going out, “Can’t you take a joke.”

 “Oh, you don’t think I can take a joke, do you?” Lena said, a mischievous glint in her eye that immediately wiped the smile off Kara’s face.

 “Uh oh.” Kara whispered, a sheepish grin appearing on her face as she backed out of living room. 

Lena smirked, before launching at her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around Kara as she kissed her playfully.

Laughter filled the apartment as their normal, lighthearted banter returned. They went through their Monday morning routine, knowing neither of them were planning on going into work that day. They needed a day where they could decompress from the events of the previous one. And soon they would be surrounded by the people they loved, and everything would slowly fall back into place. Kara’s jobs would return to their normal jumbled mess, switching constantly from Catco reporter to the Girl of Steel. Lena leading her company, changing it into the force of good she always believed in.

And more importantly they had each other.

 Their love healing the wounds unseen, a love that would carry them through the rest of their lives… together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s a wrap! 
> 
> Some of you may have noticed (some not lol) that I went back and smoothed out the first part of chapter one. After, re-reading it I realized that it was a little choppy, so apologizes! If any other parts stick out to you that are the same, please let me know! And give it a read if you like!
> 
> I do have a new Lena/Kara story that I plan on writing in the next couple days once I have more details planned out, I’m really excited for it so be on the lookout! 
> 
> And don’t worry! I fully intend on sticking with The Call! 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this story and my ramblings! 
> 
> ~Iza~


End file.
